VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is pressing his campaign to remake the U.S. church more in his likeness, tapping one of his new cardinals, Joseph Tobin, to replace the Newark archbishop criticized for mishandling sex abuse cases and spending lavishly on his retirement home.
The Vatican on Monday announced Tobin would replace Archbishop John Myers, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 in July.
Tobin, currently archbishop of Indianapolis, is one of three Americans whom Francis will formally elevate as cardinal Nov. 19.
His new assignment cements evidence of Francis' high esteem and marks a transition away from an archbishop focused on drawing hard lines about Catholic orthodoxy.
The leadership change also provides a fresh start for an archdiocese that has been battered recently by controversies over Myers' leadership.
